I have decided each month I am going to make one song visual. Kids learn the songs so much faster when we have a visual. Here is the one I made for this month:

This is for the second & third stanzas which obviously I have not written out yet. The first pumpkin is at church, so I was not able to take a picture of it. The song I am using is about giving thanks.

Thanksgiving Craft

This is a picture I found on the internet not from my class.

On Sunday for Children's Church I had the kids make paper chains. We used fall colors and on each link they wrote something they were thankful for. I wasn't sure how this craft was going to go over, but they all really enjoyed it and some had fun seeing how long they could make their chains.

"Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me."

-Jim Elliot

From my bookshelf...

I am almost finished reading Counsel for Christian Workers by Charles Spurgeon. This is the first book of Spurgeon's sermons that I have read. I was surprised by how down to earth and practical he is. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is involved in Christian service. Here are a couple of quotes from the book:

"Spend and be spent in your Master's service."

"The danger of every Christian worker is that of falling into routine and self-sufficiency."

I borrowed this book from the college library but am definitely planning to purchase a copy of it for myself.

"You cannot go forth yourself to your class and do your work vigorously if you have lost inward vigor. You cannot minister before the Lord with the unction of the Holy Spirit if that unction is not upon you. If you are not living near to God and in the power of God, then the power of God will not go forth through you to the children of your care." - C. H. Spurgeon

Scripture Memory: Part 2 - Review Games

Here are several games from "Children's Church Ministry" website:

Bible Verse Burst -- Write your entire memory verse onto balloons and pin or tape them to the board. After teaching the entire verse using the IPEAR method, pop one of the balloons with a push pin and have the kids repeat the verse, including the missing word (you repeat it with them, but shush on the blank). Continue to pop one balloon at a time until they can recite the entire verse.

Guess Who -- We select a volunteer who must go stand by a teacher with his back to the group and the memory verse visual. Whoever is teaching the verse quietly points to a word in the verse and instructs the group to read the verse inserting a *clap* for the appointed word. The volunteer then has to guess what the missing word was.

Crazy Voices -- Put several different types of voices on index cards for the kids to draw: British accent, frog croak, mouse squeak, cheerleader yell, Southern accent, football player voice, underwater, etc.

Quote the verse if you... ate breakfast this morning, took a bath last night, have brown eyes, like broccoli, made your bed today, have a sister, are wearing red, etc.

I have tried some of these games or variations of them except for the first one. I think that would be a fun one to try. You can also find more ideas by visiting their website. Here are some ideas of my own, most of which are not original:

Chalkboard: This is always a tried and true method. Write the verse on the board and then let the kids erase a word or a phrase at a time. You can also have races by seeing who can write the verse out first on the board. For a larger group you can turn this into a relay game, each person writing one word at a time and passing the chalk to the next person on the team.

Pass the ball: Pass a ball around and have each person say one word. To make it more challenging, time them to see how fast they can do it. For variation have the students toss the ball to whoever they want and he/she has to say the next word.

Hot potato: Play hot potato and when the music stops whoever has the "potato" must quote the verse.

Word scramble: Write each word/phrase on a piece of paper and have them put it in the correct order.

Puzzle: Write verse out on a poster board and cut into shapes to create a puzzle.

"Your aim as a teacher is to set each pupil on fire to translate what he has learned into an ardent Christian life." ~ Guy Levitt, from Teach with Success